+ Emo kids, get out your eyeliner and prepare for a reapplication: Conor Oberst just announced that Bright Eyes will release its final album next year. Perma sad face. :< (Pitchfork)

+ I wonder if some days Lady Gaga just wants to put on a pair of sweatpants that say "PINK" on the ass, and like, a ratty t-shirt and walk to the store on the corner to buy a Nesquik and a Cowtail. I mean, sure -- she's not in a unitard or a crazy dress, but is this her idea of comfy/casual? Um, and check out the headline on her crotch. Stay classssssay, Gags! (Seriously? OMG! WTF?)

+ Nas was just ordered to pay almost $44,000 a month in child support to Kelis for the baby she had on Tuesday. Who wants to go to Discovery Zone??? Nas' treat!!! (Star Magazine)

+ In the wake of the Beastie Boys' sad announcement about Adam Yauch's cancer diagnosis, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's have stepped up to take their place at Lollapalooza. (The Tripwire)

+ And in a unifying show of solidarity, none other than Jay-Z is subbing out for the Beasties at All Points West. (The Tripwire)

+ Also, on the Jay-Z tip, weird or WOW that MGMT will be contributing to his next album? Boys better be gettin' paaaaaaaaid. (Reuters)

At this point, the conflict in Darfur and the resulting humanitarian crisis are more than six years old. It is common knowledge in conscientious circles, that hundreds of thousands have died and millions have been displaced by the horrors -- and I do mean horrors -- of the Sudanese army's systematic decimation of the region's native people. But, after six years of activism, it is easy for our outrage to cool off and devolve into uneasy acceptance. Well, Waxploitation -- the L.A. management company that handles Gnarls Barkley, Black Moth Super Rainbow and Danger Mouse -- just ain't havin' that.

On the verge of releasing his second Causes record to raise money for relief in Darfur, Waxploitation founder Jeff Antebi had this to say about the project:

"It's easy for fatigue to set in when a crisis goes on for a number of years, but no one has given up hope that things can change for the better in Darfur. There are untold numbers of people committed to changing the outcome. It takes humanitarian assistance, tenacity and political will."

And, of course, it takes money. A whole lotta spending money. And, while 15 indie gems clearly aren't going to fund a revolution, Causes 2 does provide everyday people like us with an easy means of contributing to the betterment of the world.

The compilation -- whose profits go entirely to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America -- includes rare tracks, remixes and live cuts from Devendra Banhart, Diplo, My Morning Jacket, RJD2, LCD Soundsystem, Gnarls Barkley, The Decemberists, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and many others.

The compilation doesn't hit shelves until May 5, but you can listen to Causes 2 right now, for free, only on The Leak. Get hooked here, then shell out $9.99 for the good of humanity in May.

+ If you pre-order Causes 2 now, Waxploitation will throw in Causes 1 -- including tracks from Animal Collective, Bright Eyes and The Shins -- for only $6.99!

I don't wanna shatter any illusions here, but if you're looking to a professional blogger for advice on anything romantic, you have some serious thinking to do. That's why I'm handing this Valentine's Day post off to a pro. John Vesely, aka Secondhand Serenade has more magnetism in one frosted tip than the whole rest of the Internet combined. Can the Internet play piano and sing with its eyes closed? No. It doesn't even have feelings (or eyes). All it can do is make a heart out of a bracket and a three. Weak. John Vesely was born to tell you he loves you. Stick with him. Here's a special Valentine's Day message and a crazy romantic love-playlist from the man himself:

I've always been a lover, not a fighter which is why I love this time of year. And one of my true loves is obviously music. So to come up with a list of long songs/videos is no problem for a guy like me. It's the time of year where you hear songs you may have heard 100 times before, but you suddenly realize they have a special meaning or remind you of someone close to your heart. So hopefully you can take a look at the videos I decided to go with, and let it remind you of whoever may be that certain someone for you.

+ Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours" - A simple song and a simple video. Both are undeniable.
+ The Fray, "You Found Me" - The video showcases both a great band and a beautiful city.
+ Thriving Ivory, "Angels on the Moon" - These guys are good friends of mine. They went all out on this video.
+ Plain White T’s, "Hey There Deliah" - One of the biggest songs and best videos of a few years back.
+ Katy Perry, "Thinking of You" - I love her retro style, which is overly evident in this video.
+ Kanye West, "Love Lockdown" - Kanye is always evolving and this is a colorful, left-of-center display of his art.
+ Justin Nozuka, "After Tonight" - He's a great new young talent, which is clear as day in this, his first video.
+ R. Kelly, "Real Talk" - Because the video is just as real as the song.
+ We The Kings, "Secret Valentine" - Travis's hair turns me on.
+ Augustana, "Sweet and Low" - I love how the song was written it was written very personally.

Wow ... Thanks, John!!

Want more Valentine's Day playlists? OK. I got those, too. Do you love me yet? Please...?

+ V-Day Playlist: Let Me Count The Ways (Dashboard, Bright Eyes, Beyonce, etc)
+ V-Day Playlist: Love SUCKS (Alanis, Ashanti, Incubus, etc)
+ V-Day Playlist: Celebrity Wedding Songs (Lonestar, Marvin Gaye, Edwin McCain, etc)

<3<3<3

Read more...

Man, I been begging to do a post on Animal Collective here for ages but the powers that be keep telling me "No, our audience isn't ready for that far out noise rock." That being said, there is no denying that every time I see Animal Collective, the crowd gets younger. And I can't think of a better testament to their greatness!

What other band has started out at the obscurest end of the art rock spectrum and come all the way into the mainstream spotlight without substantially sacrificing fans or cred? Death Cab? Nope. Bright Eyes? Eh, sorta... Modest Mouse? Definitely not. Even if they had, none of those bands was ever quite as adventurous as Animal Collective.

Since the recent release of their eighth (EIGHTH!) studio album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, the din of mainstream Animal Collective praise has developed into a full-on roar. People are plain-old losing it for Animal Collective, ranking it among Kid A, Pet Sounds and Revolver as one of the best albums ever. And it's not just the critics who are flipping. My little brother tells me that his whole school (Nicolet High School in Milwaukee, WI) is mental for Merriweather, too. "Everybody's Facebook status is Merriweather Post Pavilion," he tells me. It's a full-on phenomenon.

BUT! Are we ready for an Animal Collective invasion? Is there room for them in the buzz bin among Miley and the Jonases? Is there room at the Tokio Hotel (ugh, sorry)? Well how about you just watch the video for "My Girls" and get back to me on that? Deal?

Christopher Browder is a dude from Louisville, Kentucky. He's a fan of LOST, quesadillas, and George Bush (with a mustache). He plays too much Wii and drinks too much Diet Coke. Christopher Browder is also Mansions, a one-man emotional rollercoaster (a la Bright Eyes) who sounds a lot like early Death Cab For Cutie. If the photo on Browder's purevolume profile is any indication -- he spends a lot of time being overwhelmed by the feelings he sings about. That bodes well for the music, because you can tell he means every word.

Mansions' debut album drops March 3 on Doghouse Records, home of Jet Lag Gemini, Army Of Me and The Honorary Title, and original signer of The Get Up Kids, Say Anything and All-American Rejects. Not too shabby, right? If you can't wait until March, and you happen to be lucky enough to live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, you can catch Browder with buddies standing in on bass and drums at The Werehouse February 6. Otherwise, listen to Mansions, and get ready for a major arrival!